Nordic Talks

Nordic Talks

By The NordicsSociety & Culture
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Nordic Talks episodes

  • The future of aviation
    Is there a greener way to fly? We know that air travel is bad for the planet, with emissions from the aviation industry contributing substantially to global warming. But it is impossible to imagine a future without flying – at least every now and again. So how can we solve this dilemma? If ongoing work to develop electric planes succeeds, then by 2030 we could all be flying more sustainably. In this episode we take a closer look at the efforts to make electric passenger aircraft a reality, and find out what we can do in the meantime to travel in greener ways.
    30 min
  • Play for a green world?

    Can we game our way to a sustainable future? There are now more than 2.6 billion active users of video games around the world, meaning the gaming industry reaches one in three people on the planet. So, can this huge virtual community be inspired and mobilized to fight for a greener world? Apparently yes - and this is already happening!

    In this episode we find out how an alliance of gaming companies is introducing environmental issues into popular games and how tech pioneers are using extended reality (XR) to highlight sustainability topics in new ways.

    23 min
  • A green forest of selfies?
    Can we store data in plants? Sending an email, streaming a video, uploading photos to the cloud, or simply just listening to this podcast. All these apparently trivial everyday actions have one thing in common: They come with a hidden environmental cost. The greenhouse gas emissions from the data centers that make all these things possible now equal those of the air industry and are spiraling rapidly. In this episode, we take a closer look at ways of storing data more sustainably, including in what is perhaps the greenest way of all – in plants!
    23 min
  • Exercise your democratic muscle
    Governments around the world are exploring ways of getting citizens more involved in making complex policy decisions. Can this trend toward "deliberative democracy" lead to braver decisions for a more sustainable world? To find out, we spoke to a democracy activist and a political researcher and discovered some of the innovative ways that individual citizens can get involved in democratic decisions in their own communities.
    22 min
  • Game-changing protein
    What do you throw on the grill when you are having friends over for a barbeque but still want to stay sustainable? How about a seaweed sausage or a burger literally made out of thin air? The range of game-changing, climate-friendly proteins is expanding rapidly as calls to eat less meat to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and deforestation increase. We explore this food revolution, talking to those taking part in the drive to change products and perceptions to move the world's population away from animal products towards the sustainable foods of the future.
    23 min
  • Is doing good good business?
    Is saving the planet good for business? Consumers are increasingly demanding that companies do more to tackle to world’s most critical challenges, from environmental issues to modern-day slavery. In response, the business world is switching from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to Total Societal Impact (TSI) as a way of having a positive impact on people and the planet. But have they just swapped one acronym for another, or are there substantial differences between the two? We asked the experts if TSI really does make for better business and make businesses better or whether it is just an expensive form of green PR.
    26 min
  • Will corona make us greener?
    Will the corona crisis lead to a more sustainable life – even after travel bans are lifted and social distancing is just a distant memory? Or will countries and communities simply go back to business as usual? Our host asks a climate activist, the head of the European Environment Agency, and a former European Commissioner for Climate if the pandemic is a unique window of opportunity for change – or if Covid-19 has put Europe's plans to go green in lockdown.
    36 min
  • Ugly vegetables need love too

    Food waste is a major environmental challenge. If food waste were a country, it would be the third highest emitter of greenhouse gasses in the world. And yet one third of all fruit and vegetables are tossed away before they even reach the shop shelves, deemed too ugly, bumpy, or scarred for a consumer to love.

    We take a closer look at the beauty standards at play in the food industry and find out: Can embracing ugly vegetables cut greenhouse gas emissions? What do curly carrots and the Game of Thrones have in common? And why is the market for misfit vegetables suddenly taking off in Norway and China?

    18 min
  • Kids and careers – let’s make it easier
    Can the US draw inspiration from the Nordic model of paid parental leave for all? We explore the differences between the Nordic and US systems and ask how changes to parental leave provision can make the lives of all working parents easier.
    21 min

About Nordic Talks

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Looking for inspiration about what you do to tackle the biggest challenges facing the world today? Nordic Talks brings together thinkers and doers from around the world in curious conversations, offering fresh perspectives on how we can act for a better, more sustainable future. Each episode features the highlights of an independently organized live Nordic Talk offering insight and inspiration on how to achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).